这周的双语短篇小说阅读专栏，我们来读一篇欧·亨利的一部小说《女巫的面包》，讲述了一位面包店老板娘与一位画家的故事。这也是欧亨利的一部经典作品，小说的篇幅很小，但语言十分精湛，细致入微的人物刻画与曲折生动的情节让读者慢慢深陷其中。而结尾处作者却笔锋忽转，结局让人无比惊愕，又感慨万千。原来，自作多情的善解人意不过是他人眼中无比荒唐的行径。作者 | 欧·亨利
译者 | 崔爽
原著 | 《欧·亨利短篇小说精选》
出版 | 浙江出版联合集团Miss Martha Meacham kept the little bakery on the corner (the one where you go up three steps, and the bell tinkles when you open the door).玛莎·米查姆小姐在街角开了家小小的烘焙屋（就是那家要先上三个台阶，推开门的时候会有个铃铛叮叮作响的小店）。- bakery [ˈbeɪkəri] n.[C] 面包店，糕饼店
- tinkle[ˈtɪŋkəl] v.（使）发出叮当声
Miss Martha was forty, her bank-book showed a credit of two thousand dollars, and she possessed two false teeth and a sympathetic heart. Many people have married whose chances to do so were much inferior to Miss Martha's.玛莎小姐如今四十岁，存折里有两千块，还有两颗假牙再加上一颗多情的心。论起条件，许多已经嫁出去的女人跟玛莎小姐比起来那也都差远了。- credit n.[C,U] a sum of money paid into a bank account; a record of the payment 存款金额
- possess [pəˈzɛs] v. to have or own sth 有，拥有
- sympathetic [sɪmpəˈθɛtɪk] caring and feeling sorry about someone’s problems 表示同情的；有同情心的
- be inferior to sb / sth 比…稍逊一筹
Two or three times a week a customer came in in whom she began to take an interest. He was a middle-aged man, wearing spectacles and a brown beard trimmed to a careful point.有这么一位顾客，每周都来两三回，玛莎小姐逐渐对他生出些好感。他是位中年男子，戴副眼镜，棕色的胡子修剪得一丝不苟。- take an interest in sb / sth 对…感兴趣
- spectacles [‘spektəklz] n.[pl.] 眼镜
- trim [trɪm] v. to make something look neater by cutting small pieces off it 修剪
He spoke English with a strong German accent. His clothes were worn and darned in places, and wrinkled and baggy in others. But he looked neat, and had very good manners.他说的英语带有浓重的德国口音。他的衣服都穿旧了，一些地方有缝补过的痕迹，另一些地方则皱皱巴巴、松松垮垮。但他整个人看上去很整洁，也非常有礼貌。- darn [dɑːn] v. to repair a hole in a piece of clothing by stitching wool over it 织补，缝补
- wrinkle [ˈrɪŋkəl] v. if a piece of clothing wrinkles, it gets small untidy folds in it 〔布料等〕起皱，起褶
- baggy [ˈbagi] adj. (of clothes) hanging loosely because of being too big or having been stretched（衣服）肥大的，宽松下垂的
- neat [niːt] adj. tidy and carefully arranged 整齐的；整洁的
He always bought two loaves of stale bread. Fresh bread was five cents a loaf. Stale ones were two for five. Never did he call for anything but stale bread.他总是来买两条隔夜面包就走。新鲜出炉的面包一条要五分钱，隔夜的五分钱能买两条。他从来没要过除了隔夜面包之外的任何东西。- stale [steɪl] adj. no longer new or fresh, usually as a result of being kept for too long（通常指因久放）不新鲜的，走味的
Once Miss Martha saw a red and brown stain on his fingers. She was sure then that he was an artist and very poor. No doubt he lived in a garret, where he painted pictures and ate stale bread and thought of the good things to eat in Miss Martha's bakery.有一回，玛莎小姐看见他手指上沾了点红褐色的污渍。她几乎一下子就肯定他是个潦倒的艺术家。毫无疑问，他一定是住在阁楼里，一边吃着隔夜面包画着画儿，一边想着玛莎小姐烘焙屋里的各种美味点心。- stain [steɪn] n.[C] a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a liquid such as blood, coffee, or ink 污迹，污点
- garret [ˈgarət] n.[C] a very small, uncomfortable room at the top of a house顶楼；阁楼
Often when Miss Martha sat down to her chops and light rolls and jam and tea she would sigh, and wish that the gentle-mannered artist might share her tasty meal instead of eating his dry crust in that draughty attic. Miss Martha's heart, as you have been told, was a sympathetic one.
玛莎小姐坐在桌旁享用肉排和面包卷、蘸果酱喝红茶的时候，常常好端端地就叹一口气，希望那位文质彬彬的艺术家能与她分享这些美味，而不是在他那个凉风飕飕的阁楼里默默啃着干面包。我们刚说过，玛莎小姐有着一颗多情的心。
- chop [tʃɒp] n.[C] a small piece of meat on a bone, usually cut from a sheep or pig 〔羊、猪等〕排骨
- roll [rəʊl] n.[C] a small loaf of bread for one person 面包卷；小圆面包
- crust [krʌst] n.[C] the outside layer of a loaf of bread 面包皮
- draughty [ˈdrɑːfti] adj. a draughty room or building has cold air blowing through it 通风的；有过堂风的
- attic [ˈatɪk] n.[C] a space or room just below the roof of a house, often used for storing things 阁楼，顶楼
In order to test her theory as to his occupation, she brought from her room one day a painting that she had bought at a sale, and set it against the shelves behind the bread counter.为了证实自己是否猜中了他的职业，她从闺房拿出一幅打折季买的画，摆在了糕点柜后的架子上。- occupation [ɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən] n.[C] a job or profession 工作，职业
- set sth against sth 放，置；使处于（指定的地方、位置）
- counter [ˈkaʊntə] n.[C] 柜台
It was a Venetian scene. A splendid marble palazzio (so it said on the picture) stood in the foreground -- or rather forewater. For the rest there were gondolas (with the lady trailing her hand in the water), clouds, sky, and chiaro-oscuro in plenty. No artist could fail to notice it.这是一幅威尼斯风景画。一座雄伟的大理石宫殿（画上是这么标注的）伫立在前景中——或者说前面的水景里。画上还有几条贡多拉（船上有位女士用手在水面划出了波痕），有云朵，有天空，还有不少用明暗对照法绘制的地方。只要是艺术家就不可能忽视这幅画。- marble [ˈmɑːbəl] n.[U] 大理石
- foreground n.[sing.] the people, objects, countryside, etc. in a picture or photograph that seem nearest to you and form its main part（图片或照片的）前景
- gondola [ˈɡɒndələ] n.[C] 〔意大利威尼斯运河的〕平底船，贡多拉
- trail [treɪl] v. to pull sth behind sb/sth, usually along the ground; to be pulled along in this way （被）拖，拉
Two days afterward the customer came in."Two loafs of stale bread, if you blease.""You haf here a fine bicture, madame," he said while she was wrapping up the bread.他在她打包时又说了一句：“你这幅画不戳（错）呀，夫人。”"Yes?" says Miss Martha, reveling in her own cunning. "I do so admire art and" (no, it would not do to say "artists" thus early) "and paintings," she substituted. "You think it is a good picture?"
“哦，是吗？”玛莎小姐挺高兴，她的小计谋奏效了，“我的确特别崇拜艺术和……（不不，‘艺术家’三个字太快说出来是不妥的）……和绘画呢。”她改口道，“你看这画还不错吧？”- revel in sth to get great pleasure from a situation or an activity 陶醉于；沉湎于；纵情于
- cunning [ˈkʌnɪŋ] n.[U] the quality or skill of being clever at planning something so you get what you want, especially by tricking other people 狡诈；狡猾；机灵
- substitute [ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt] v. to use something or someone instead of another thing or person 用…代替，代之以...
"Der balance," said the customer, is not in good drawing. Der bairspective of it is not true. Goot morning, madame."“宫癫（殿）没画好，”顾客答道，“透诗（视）不真实。日安了，夫人。”He took his bread, bowed, and hurried out. Yes, he must be an artist. Miss Martha took the picture back to her room.他拿起面包，欠了欠身，便匆匆走了出去。没错，他肯定是个艺术家。玛莎小姐把画放回房里去了。- bow [baʊ] v. to bend the top part of your body forward in order to show respect for someone important, or as a way of thanking an audience 鞠躬
How gentle and kindly his eyes shone behind his spectacles! What a broad brow he had! To be able to judge perspective at a glance -- and to live on stale bread! But genius often has to struggle before it is recognized.他是那么风度翩翩！他的双眼在镜片后头闪耀着那么亲切的光芒！他的前额那么宽阔！只消一眼就能判断透视的好坏——还只靠隔夜面包果腹度日！但一个人在才华被认可之前，都要苦熬一段时间的不是吗？- brow [braʊ] n.[C] the part of your face above your eyes and below your hair 额
- perspective [pəˈspɛktɪv] n.[U] a method of drawing a picture that makes objects look solid and shows distance and depth, or the effect this method produces in a picture 透视（画）法；透视效果，透视感
What a thing it would be for art and perspective if genius were backed by two thousand dollars in bank, a bakery, and a sympathetic heart to -- But these were day-dreams, Miss Martha.试想一下，要是这位才子能在银行里有两千块和一个烘焙屋做后盾，还有一颗多情的心去爱——醒醒，玛莎小姐，这是你的白日梦吧。Often now when he came he would chat for a while across the showcase. He seemed to crave Miss Martha's cheerful words.之后他每每来到，都会隔着糕点柜跟玛莎小姐聊上那么一会儿。他似乎挺热衷于逗她笑的。
- showcase [ˈʃəʊkeɪs] n.[C] a glass box containing objects for people to look at in a shop, at an art show etc 玻璃陈列柜
- crave [kreɪv] v. to have a very strong feeling of wanting something 渴望，热望
He kept on buying stale bread. Never a cake, never a pie, never one of her delicious Sally Lunns.可他还是只买隔夜面包，从来不看蛋糕、馅饼，从来不会关注她最拿手最美味的萨利伦。
She thought he began to look thinner and discouraged. Her heart ached to add something good to eat to his meagre purchase, but her courage failed at the act. She did not dare affront him. She knew the pride of artists.
玛莎小姐觉得他似乎日渐消瘦，人也憔悴了许多。真让人心疼啊，她特别想在他买的便宜吃食里加上一些好东西，可每次都是手伸到一半就又缩了回去。她不愿冒犯他，因为她知道艺术家都有着高傲的自尊。discouraged [dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒd] adj. no longer having the confidence you need to continue doing something 灰心的，丧气的
ache [eɪk] v. to have a strong unhappy feeling 感到痛苦
meagre [ˈmiːgə] adj. a meagre amount of food, money etc is too small and is much less than you need 〔食物、钱等〕不足的，微薄的
affront [əˈfrʌnt] v. to insult or offend someone 侮辱；冒犯
Miss Martha took to wearing her blue-dotted silk waist behind the counter. In the back room she cooked a mysterious compound of quince seeds and borax. Ever so many people use it for the complexion.
玛莎小姐转到柜台后面，换上了自己那件蓝色小点点的丝绸背心。她在里屋熬着一锅神秘的药，里头放了木瓜籽和硼砂。很多人都用这个配方来改善肤色呢。take to doing sth 开始喜欢做…
waist [weɪst] n.[C] 背心
compound [ˈkɒmpaʊnd] n.[C] something consisting of two or more different parts 复合物；混合物
quince [kwɪns] n.[C,U] a hard bitter yellow fruit used for making jam, etc. It grows on a tree, also called a quince. 榅桲（果实金黄有涩味，可制果酱）
borax [ˈbɔːræks] n.[U] a white powder used to make glass and cleaning products 硼砂，月石（用于制玻璃和清洁用品）
complexion [kəmˈplɛkʃən] n.[C] the natural appearance of the skin on a person's face, especially its colour or quality（天然的）面色，肤色，气色
One day the customer came in as usual, laid his nickel on the showcase, and called for his stale loaves. While Miss Martha was reaching for them there was a great tooting and clanging, and a fire-engine came lumbering past.
这天，客人像往常一样过来了，把硬币放在柜台上，要了两条隔夜面包。就在玛莎小姐拿面包的当儿，门外突然响起了震耳欲聋的喇叭声和叮叮当当的巨响，一辆救火车呼啸而过。nickel [ˈnɪk.əl] n.[C] a US or Canadian coin worth five cents（美国或加拿大的）5分镍币
toot [tuːt] v. if you toot your car horn, or if it toots, it makes a short high sound （使）〔汽车喇叭〕发嘟嘟声
clang [klaŋ] v. to make a loud deep ringing sound like that of metal being hit, or to cause something to make this sound（使）叮当作响；（使）发出当啷声
fire-engine n.[C] a large vehicle that carries firefighters and their equipment to a fire 救火车，消防车
lumber [ˈlʌmbə] v. to move in a slow awkward way 缓慢而笨拙地移动
The customer hurried to the door to look, as any one will. Suddenly inspired, Miss Martha seized the opportunity.
客人难以免俗地奔向门口去看热闹，这时候玛莎小姐突然灵光一闪，抓住了一个机会。inspire [ɪnˈspʌɪə] v. to give someone an idea for a book, film, product, etc. 赋予灵感；激发（想法）
seize the opportunity 抓住机会
On the bottom shelf behind the counter was a pound of fresh butter that the dairyman had left ten minutes before. With a bread knife Miss Martha made a deep slash in each of the stale loaves, inserted a generous quantity of butter, and pressed the loaves tight again.柜台后面架子的最后一层，放着乳品师傅十分钟前剩下的一磅鲜黄油。玛莎小姐抓起面包刀，在两条隔夜面包上割出深深的大口子，塞进分量十足的黄油，再把面包按紧。dairyman [ˈdeərimən] n.[C] a man who owns or manages a dairy and sells the products 乳牛场主；乳品商
slash [slaʃ] n.[C] a long, deep cut（长而深的）划痕，切口
insert [ɪnˈsɜːt] v. to put something inside or into something else 插入，放进
When the customer turned once more she was tying the paper around them.
When he had gone, after an unusually pleasant little chat, Miss Martha smiled to herself, but not without a slight fluttering of the heart.
他俩又格外愉快地聊了一会儿，客人就离开了。玛莎小姐情不自禁地乐起来，可还是紧张得心肝儿颤抖。Had she been too bold? Would he take offense? But surely not. There was no language of edibles. Butter was no emblem of unmaidenly forwardness.
她会不会太过大胆了些啊？会不会冒犯到他？不过肯定不会的，食物又不是语言，给点儿黄油难道就不矜持了吗？- take offense 对(某事)生气，因(某事)见怪
- edibles [‘ediblz] n.[pl.] 食用品
- emblem [‘ɛmbləm] n.[C] a picture of an object that is used to represent a particular person, group, or idea 象征；标志；符号；徽章
- forwardness [ˈfɔːwədnəs] behaviour that is too confident or friendly 鲁莽；冒失；过分热情
For a long time that day her mind dwelt on the subject. She imagined the scene when he should discover her little deception.
这一天接下来的时间她的心思被这件事填得满满的。她在脑海中幻想着种种他发现那小骗局的情形。dwell on sth to think or talk a lot about sth, especially sth it would be better to forget 老是想着，唠叨
deception [dɪˈsepʃən] n.[C,U] the act of deliberately making someone believe something that is not true 欺骗（行为）
He would lay down his brushes and palette. There would stand his easel with the picture he was painting in which the perspective was beyond criticism.
他放下画笔和调色盘。画架上支着他的作品，画上运用的透视绝对是无可挑剔的。palette [ˈpælət] n.[C] a thin board with curved edges and a hole for your thumb, used by artists to mix their paints on while they are painting 调色板
easel [ˈiːzəl] n.[C] a wooden frame that you put a painting on while you paint it 画架
He would prepare for his luncheon of dry bread and water. He would slice into a loaf -- ah!
他起身端来午餐，又是干面包和白开水。他切开一块面包——啊！
Miss Martha blushed. Would he think of the hand that placed it there as he ate? Would he --
玛莎小姐脸红了。他吃的时候会不会想到往里抹黄油的她的小手呢？他会不会……The front door bell jangled viciously. Somebody was coming in, making a great deal of noise.
门口的铃铛传来一阵猛烈的丁零零零，有什么人吵吵嚷嚷地走进来。jangle [ˈdʒaŋgəl] v. if metal objects jangle, or if you jangle them, they make a sound when they hit each other (使)〔金属物件碰撞后〕发出叮当声
vicious [ˈvɪʃəs] adj. unpleasantly strong or severe 剧烈的；恶劣的
Miss Martha hurried to the front. Two men were there. One was a young man smoking a pipe -- a man she had never seen before. The other was her artist.
玛莎小姐赶到前台，那儿站着两位男士。年轻的那位嘴里叼着烟斗——她从来没有见过这位先生。另一位则是她的艺术家。
His face was very red, his hat was on the back of his head, his hair was wildly rumpled. He clinched his two fists and shook them ferociously at Miss Martha.
他整个脸红得跟充血一样，帽子耷拉在脑后，头发乱得像鸡窝。他攥紧了拳头朝玛莎小姐激愤地挥舞。是的，拳头朝着玛莎小姐挥舞。rumple [ˈrʌmpəl] v. to make hair, clothes etc less tidy 把〔头发、衣服等〕弄乱，弄皱
fist [fɪst] n.[C] a hand with the fingers and thumb held tightly in 拳，拳头
ferocious [fəˈrəʊʃəs] adj. relating to an emotion that is felt very strongly 〔感情〕十分强烈的
"Dummkopf!" he shouted with extreme loudness; and then "Tausendonfer!" or something like it in German.
“Dummkopf！”他声嘶力竭地大吼，然后又喊了一声像“Tausendonfer！”之类的德国话。The young man tried to draw him away. "I vill not go," he said angrily, "else I shall told her."
年轻人努力把他扯开。“我不走！”他气愤地喊道，“我非要跟她将（讲）个明白！”He made a bass drum of Miss Martha's counter. "You haf shpoilt me," he cried, his blue eyes blazing behind his spectacles. "I vill tell you. You vas von meddingsome old cat!"
他重重捶着玛莎小姐的柜台，跟擂鼓似的。“你把我灰（毁）了啊！”他吼着，镜片后头的蓝眼睛里要喷出火来，“我告诉你！你这个自以为是讨人嫌的老女人！”blaze [bleɪz] v. if sb's eyes blaze, they look extremely angry 怒视；（怒火）燃烧
the drum of sth 某物击鼓似的声音
bass [bas] adj. playing, singing, or producing the lowest range of musical notes 低音的
Miss Martha leaned weakly against the shelves and laid one hand on her blue-dotted silk waist. The young man took the other by the collar.
玛莎小姐虚弱地靠着面包架，一只手按在蓝色小点点的丝绸背心上面。年轻人一把揪住了另一位的衣领。"Come on," he said, "you've said enough." He dragged the angry one out at the door to the sidewalk, and then came back.
“走吧，”他劝道，“你也说够了。”他拽着气疯了的那位出门到了人行道上，又转身回到店里。"Guess you ought to be told, ma'am," he said, "what the row is about. That's Blumberger. He's an architectural draftsman. I work in the same office with him.
“还是跟您说清楚他为什么气成这样吧，夫人，”他解释道，“他名叫布伦伯格，是个建筑制图员，我跟他是同事。row [raʊ] n.[C] a short angry argument, especially between people who know each other well 〔尤指熟人之间的〕争吵，吵架
draftsman [ˈdrɑːftsmən] n.[C] someone whose job is to draw all the parts of a new building or machine that is being planned 绘图员，制图员
"He's been working hard for three months drawing a plan for a new city hall. It was a prize competition. He finished inking the lines yesterday. You know, a draftsman always makes his drawing in pencil first. When it's done he rubs out the pencil lines with handfuls of stale bread crumbs. That's better than India rubber.
“他为了给新市政厅画平面图，已经忙活了三个月。这还是一项有奖竞赛呢。他是昨天才完成给线条上墨的。您知道吧，制图员都是先用铅笔打稿的，画好之后他就会用隔夜面包屑擦掉铅笔痕，那效果比橡皮都好呢。ink [ɪŋk] v. publishing, art to put ink on something 给…上油墨
rub sth out to remove the marks made by a pencil, etc., using a rubber/eraser 用橡皮擦掉（字迹等）
crumb [krʌm] n.[C] a very small piece of bread, cake, or biscuit 面包屑；糕饼渣
"Blumberger's been buying the bread here. Well, to-day -- well, you know, ma'am, that butter isn't -- well, Blumberger's plan isn't good for anything now except to cut up into railroad sandwiches."
“布伦伯格一直都在您这儿买面包吧。嗯，那个，今天……您知道的，夫人，那个黄油嘛，实在是不太……哎，反正布伦伯格的平面图，除了能裁开来做铁路三明治之外，是彻底没用了。”Miss Martha went into the back room. She took off the blue-dotted silk waist and put on the old brown serge she used to wear. Then she poured the quince seed and borax mixture out of the window into the ash can.
玛莎小姐回到里屋，脱下蓝色点点的丝绸背心，换回以前一直穿的棕色哔叽旧背心。然后，她把木瓜籽硼砂汤全倒在了窗外的垃圾桶里。这周的文学专栏就到这里，寓意深刻的一个小故事，大家阅读愉快💛
